Those Birmingham sets keep on getting bigger. Well, the ones that are still in existence.
In July No5 Chambers and St Philips Chambers fought over the members of dissolving set Three Fountain Court. At the start of September St Philips announced an alliance with London civil and criminal set 4 King’s Bench Walk (4KBW).
The alliance essentially picks up from where 4KBW left off with Three Fountain Court. The two chambers had a similar association.
Under the new agreement St Philips and 4KBW will work together on marketing and client service. The focus is on crime – an astute move, as it is a tougher area to work in and is less profitable for any set.
For the moment a merger is not on the cards, but do not rule it out. Since his arrival at St Philips in January, chief executive Jonathan Fox has made it clear that he has grand plans for the set, which is already one of the largest in the country. One thing is for sure: either St Philips or No5 will have 200 tenants within the near future, an unthinkable number just a few years ago.
